www.spotsndots.com Subscriptions: $350 per year. This publication cannot be distributed beyond the office of the actual subscriber. Need us? 888-884-2630 or [email protected] The Daily News of TV Sales Tuesday, March 10, 2020 Copyright 2020. COX SURVEY: DEALERS ARE UPBEAT ON SPRING SALES THEY MOST FEAR THINGS THEY CAN'T CONTROL ADVERTISER NEWS As they reached mid-winter, U.S. dealers answering a Walmart plans to hire 500 truck drivers in 2020, even with quarterly Cox Automotive survey looked forward to a its private fleet already at record levels, as surging Internet robust spring selling season and were taking on additional sales create a greater need for people to deliver those employees and investing in technology to further drive sales, orders, Yahoo Finance reports. The big-box retailer already Automotive News says. employs more than 9,000 drivers, but needs more on both But if the survey had been administered just weeks later, as coasts — especially in states like Washington, Pennsylvania, coronavirus concerns spooked Wall Street and threatened New Jersey and New York. Nevada will also be a key area for consumer confidence, overall scores in the latest Cox recruitment, according to Walmart. The hiring push comes Automotive Dealer Sentiment Index amid a nationwide truck driver shortage, and survey likely would have tumbled, Cox Chief increased demand to move more freight. Economist Jonathan Smoke said. For a retailer like Walmart, trucking is its As in the fourth quarter of 2019, franchised lifeblood, with drivers hauling freight from dealers cited factors beyond their control as distribution centers and vendors to service their top business concerns. They include Walmart’s 4,700 U.S. stores… A survey market conditions (34%), competition (32%), political climate of CEOs and business executives on the Fast Company (23%) and a lack of consumer incentives (21%). Impact Council finds that 66 percent have canceled travel The survey measures dealer optimism on a quarterly basis. plans over concerns surrounding the coronavirus. Sixty- Franchised dealers participating in the first-quarter 2020 five percent say that their customers’ purchases have been survey, conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 10, were buoyed by negatively affected by the outbreak… Consumer reactions the strong start to the year, making them “the most optimistic to the coronavirus outbreak have led to a surge in the sale of we have seen since the beginning of 2018,” Smoke said. cleaning supplies and hand sanitizers. Fox 5 Atlanta says Used-vehicle sales remained a bright spot, though economic Kroger and Publix stores in Georgia have placed limits and political uncertainty weighed on dealers’ minds. The on products in these categories and others to address the survey overlapped with the conclusion of President Donald spike in demand... Ross Stores sees plenty of room for Trump’s impeachment trial. expansion as it continues to move into new markets, Chain Some economic concerns came to pass as February ended Store Age reports. The off-price chain opened 19 stores with U.S. stocks plunging. If the survey would have been and seven dd’s Discounts outlets across nine different taken “fresh off the carnage of the stock market declines,” states in February and March. The locations are part of the dealer sentiment scores would be “directionally lower, if not company’s plans to add approximately 100 new stores – 75 statistically significantly lower,” Smoke told Automotive News. Ross and 25 dd’s Discounts locations – during fiscal 2020... Some analysts expect coronavirus concerns will hinder new- Stitch Fix shares tumbled yesterday as investors fled the vehicle sales. Even so, Smoke said many dealers around the personal styling service, which issued a bleak outlook and U.S. don’t believe it will have a big impact. reported quarterly sales that missed analysts’ expectations, “My experience with dealers has been that they tend to calling its current business model for ordering women’s, be a little bit more that the glass is still half full rather than men’s and children’s apparel on a fixed basis into question, half empty,” Smoke said, “and so I feel like they may be still CNBC reports. The San Francisco-based company said it relatively optimistic about the year.” witnessed “heightened promotional activity across retail” While the Federal Reserve’s decision last week to make during the holidays. And so Stitch Fix’s current customers an emergency half-point cut in interest rates could bolster are spending less per order, on average, resulting in lower new-vehicle sales, Cox predicts the immediate impact will order values than the company had projected. be minor and that the move was designed to lower any risk that the coronavirus would trigger a recession. Perennial dealer concerns — market conditions and competition from other stores — topped the list of factors franchised dealers said were holding back business. The political climate tied with weather concerns for third on that list. Though dealers said they were

(Continued on Page 3) NETWORK NEWS AVAILS In Contempt alum Christian Keyes is set as a series WYFF 4, the Hearst Television NBC affiliate in beautiful regular in At That Age, NBC’s ensemble drama pilot. Written Greenville, S.C., seeks a superstar Account Executive. by Carla Banks-Waddles, At That Age is an exploration We are looking for an experienced sales of an African-American family’s legacy. After the Cooper professional who can excel with some of the top family’s golden child suffers a catastrophic event, seven accounts on the station while achieving goals family members face a foundational shift, make life-altering across all platforms. Do you have a commitment decisions and deal with deep secrets coming to light. Keyes to excellence, the ability to own transactional will play Jabari Patterson, Samantha’s younger brother... business, a track record of New Business Gavin Stenhouse (Black Mirror) and Gwendoline Yeo success, and like to have fun? Then come work at one of the (American Crime) are set as series regulars in the CW pilot best television stations and best cities in the country. Google Kung Fu, a reimagining with a female “Greenville, SC Top 10” and see why lead of the 1970s David Carradine- everyone wants to live here! Click HERE starring TV series. Written by Christina Due to the coronavirus, a to apply. EOE. M. Kim, inspired by the original series group is urging the NCAA to WAFF 48 in Huntsville, Ala., seeks created by Ed Spielman, the new Kung play March Madness games a multi-platform experienced Account Fu sees a quarter-life crisis causing a in empty stadiums. The XFL Executive. We’re looking for an young Chinese-American woman to drop said, “Hey, that’s our thing.” energetic, goal-oriented team player with out of college and go on a life-changing excellent communication skills. Must journey to an isolated monastery in have a strong track record of increasing China. But when she returns to find Conan O'Brien station revenue on existing accounts in her hometown overrun with crime and addition to developing new business corruption, she uses her martial arts in both traditional TV and digital sales. skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and Experience in Wide Orbit Traffic, Wide Orbit Media Sales, bring criminals to justice — all while searching for the Matrix, Power Point and ComScore preferred. Must have the assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor and now is targeting ability to multi-task, be organized and a self-starter. Qualified her… Ginger Gonzaga (Kidding, I’m Dying Up Here) is set applicants, CLICK HERE to apply. Pre-employment drug as a series regular opposite Shannyn Sossamon in The screen and clean MVR required. No calls, please. Cleaning Lady, Fox’s drama pilot based on the Argentinian EOE-M/F/D/V. series. Written by Miranda Kwok, The Cleaning Lady is WNEM, a Meredith TV station in Saginaw, Mich., is recruiting a one-hour darkly aspirational character drama about a for a dynamic Local Sales Manager who is ready to take whip-smart Filipina doctor, Reyna Salonga (Sossamon), the station to the next level. The successful candidate will who comes to the U.S. for a medical treatment to save her be a sales leader who creates a positive culture for success ailing son. But when the system fails and pushes her into through leadership, clear direction, teaching, motivating and hiding, she refuses to be beaten down and marginalized. evaluating sales efforts of our local team. The Local Sales Instead, she becomes an on-call cleaning lady for the Manager will lead the local team in exceeding budgets on mob... Fox has given a straight-to-series order for a multi- multiple platforms, including Digital. We are always on the camera sitcom called Call Me Kat, which is a remake of lookout for bright, creative talent to be part of the Meredith BBC comedy Miranda. The show follows Kat (Mayim team. Apply at: http://www.meredith.com/viewjobopenings. Bialik), a 39-year-old woman who struggles every day EOE. against society and her mother to prove that you can’t have everything you want and still be happy. That’s why See your ad here tomorrow! CLICK HERE for details. she spent the money her parents set aside for her wedding to open a cat café in Louisville, Ky. Cheyenne Jackson SPOTIFY TAKES MUSIC STREAMING’S TOP SPOT (American Horror Story) plays Kat’s high school crush Max, There’s a new big dog on the porch when it comes to the who recently returned from teaching English overseas and U.S. music streaming space. According to a new forecast now works as a bartender across the street from her café... on digital music listeners from eMarketer, Spotify has The CW’s Washington, D.C.-set pilot Maverick has found supplanted Pandora as the most popular streaming its U.S. president in Desperate Housewives alum Mark service in the U.S. In fact, it’s been No. 1 since last year Moses. Pete Ploszek (Teen Wolf) also has been cast — two years ahead of the research firm’s March 2019 opposite Reina Hardesty in the drama. Maverick is written forecast. by Merigan Mulhern. In a present-day America that finds The new forecast says Spotify grew 25.8 percent to itself under authoritarian rule, the president’s daughter, Kit 65.4 million U.S. listeners last year. (eMarketer defines (Hardesty), who was raised to believe her father is moral “listeners” as those who listen to Spotify or Pandora at and benevolent, has her worldview rocked on her first day least once monthly). Pandora had been the top player in at Georgetown... Modern Family’s Julie Bowen has been the space since its 2000 launch. cast in a new CBS comedy Raised By Wolves. Bowen The growth is expected to continue in the current year. will play Frankie Wolfe, a successful, type-A career woman According to eMarketer, Spotify will add another 10 million whose life is changed forever when she adopts and raises listeners in 2020, ending the year with 75.9 million listeners. an 11-year-old. Wolfe is described as being incredibly put Among the factors enabling Spotify’s ascension: together and very blunt, two characteristics that originated podcasting, which eMarketer says successfully drove from her need to survive being “raised by Wolfes.” engagement and appealed to an array of listeners. 3/10/2020

The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com PAGE 2 CBS, NBC IN 9-YEAR DEAL TO KEEP PGA TOUR SURVEY: DEALERS UPBEAT ON SPRING SALES The PGA Tour has inked a nine-year media rights (Continued from Page 1) package with incumbent broadcasters CBS Sports and hiring to boost sales performance, they also noted that the NBC Sports, while carving out a new over-the-top package cost of additional employees is weighing on profits. Hiring which places streaming exclusivity in the hands of ESPN+, costs, higher wages and managing turnover were frequent Ad Age reports. complaints among dealers’ responses. Finalized 18 months before the current rights portfolio “Labor costs are growing — hard to find good help, was set to expire, the agreements will keep the PGA Tour especially entry-level labor,” said a BMW dealer in the rights sewn up from 2022 through 2030. While financial Midwest. “Had to increase hourly wages to attract better terms were not disclosed, multiple executives with first- applicants.” hand knowledge said the PGA was able to command a 70 Other factors dinging dealer sentiment in the first percent rate increase. quarter included weather concerns As the current CBS and NBC deals are and complicated automaker incentive each valued at $400 million per year, that programs. puts the new rate in the neighborhood of I have a lot of opinions The survey, which gauges dealers’ $680 million to $700 million annually. for someone who is perceptions of the past 90 days and CBS was the first to secure a renewal never completely sure expectations for the next three months, with the Tour, with NBC falling into of today’s date. identifies key factors affecting retailers’ step soon thereafter. After fending off optimism or pessimism. incursions by would-be usurpers Fox The latest survey had 1,084 dealer Sports and AT&T’s Turner Sports FunnyTweeter.com respondents — 606 franchised dealers division, the two broadcasters effectively and 478 independents. closed out their respective TV deals in December 2019. The OTT rights called for a bit more in THIS AND THAT the way of haggling, as the PGA Tour Live digital package More than 1,400 company executives preparing investors shifted from NBC Sports Gold to ESPN+. and suppliers for the fallout of coronavirus — Apple, Microsoft and Walmart among them — have mentioned the INTERNET MEDIA JOBS UP, ALL OTHERS DOWN outbreak at least 9,000 times collectively across earnings- Overall, U.S. media employment has fallen by 20,000 jobs report conference calls, according to call transcripts, since 2009, Ad Age reports. Internet jobs are on the rise, MarketWatch reports. That tally — which also includes and everything else is falling. cruise lines such as Carnival and toy maker Hasbro — Internet media over the past decade surpassed TV, was tracked by natural language processing company radio, magazines and newspapers to become the biggest Amenity Analytics, through last week... About 57 percent employment sector in media. of consumers are willing to change their purchasing habits Employment at internet media firms has more than tripled to help reduce negative environmental impact, according to to 277,000 jobs since the Great Recession ended in June the National Retail Federation. 2009, according to Ad Age Datacenter’s analysis of job figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over that SUNDAY NIELSEN RATINGS - LIVE + SAME DAY period, internet media’s share of U.S. media jobs has surged to 36 percent from 11 percent. TV and radio have roughly maintained their share of media jobs. Broadcast TV and cable TV together account for 25 percent of media jobs now, down slightly from 26 percent in 2009. Radio’s share of media jobs is 11 percent, compared to 12 percent in 2009. The big losses came in print media. Newspapers’ share of U.S. media jobs tumbled to 17 percent from 35 percent. Magazines now account for 11 percent of media jobs, down from 16 percent in 2009.

DONE DEAL Nexstar Broadcasting has promoted Byron Grandy to vice president and general manager of its broadcast and digital operations in Denver (DMA #17), overseeing KDVR- TV (Fox), KWGN-TV (CW) and their related websites and mobile applications. Grandy will begin his new duties immediately. He has more than three decades of broadcast experience in various leadership roles, serving most recently as vice president and general manager of Nexstar’s broadcast and digital operations in Raleigh, N.C. — WNCN-TV (CBS) and CBS17.com — since February 2017. 3/10/2020

The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com PAGE 3